Here are some stories from round and about that I haven’t yet covered, including family profiles and musings on parenthood, legal happenings, a WNBA star and queer mom making a big move, and some tidbits of media and entertainment.
Three recent stories about same-sex parents trying to obtain accurate birth certificates for their children underscore the obstacles and confusion we often face in trying to protect our families.
Wisconsin-based spice company Penzeys is celebrating the state’s marriage equality win by sharing the stories of four of the plaintiff couples (several of whom have children), including “their lives, their cooking and their love.” Lest you think they’re just jumping on the bandwagon, they also reposted an article about gay dads Pat and Dennis and their four kids that ran in their newsletter way back in 2005. It lost them customers at the time — but they stuck with their beliefs.
Here’s today’s must-read article: Melissa Bollow Tempel, a first-grade teacher in Jackson, Wisconsin, has written at Together For Jackson County Kids about how she approaches issues of gender stereotypes, gender variance, and gender-based bullying. It’s full of insight and actionable ideas. Good stuff, and worth sharing. (For more on the topic, you might also want to
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division hired Matt Nosanchuk, a former Senate staffer and advisor to Barack Obama’s campaign, as a senior counselor who will serve as a representative to the LGBT community. Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) voted to lift its ban on noncelibate lesbian and gay pastors and to
Confused by the bevy of marriage-related lawsuits now in play? Lisa Keen at Bay Windows breaks it all down in a multi-part series. (Parts I and II are out; Part III will be next week.) Chris Geidner does a similar breakdown for federal hate crimes legislation. Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed the Defense Department authorization
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle (D) signed a bill yesterday that allows same-sex couples to register as domestic partners and thus gain certain rights like hospital visitation and survivor benefits. As an erstwhile Cheesehead, who met my now-spouse while we were both graduate students at UW-Madison, this comes as happy news. Wisconsin is, in fact, the
A little political news this week, hmm? I already covered some Prop 8 stories on Tuesday, but I’ll start with a few more, because I just can’t help myself: Alec Baldwin (yes, that Alec Baldwin) tells us Why Childless Straight Couples Make the Case for Gay Marriage. Hip-hop pioneer Russell Simmons adds to my collection
Another big week: President Obama “is under pressure to engage on a variety of gay issues that are coming to the fore” reports the New York Times. Perhaps obvious, but the article is a good summary of where things stand. Lawyer Emma Ruby-Sachs looks at the two lesbians who are under consideration for the U.S.
